Means for actuating flush-tank valves



W, U. GRIFFITHS MEANS FOR ACTUATING FLUSH TANK VALVES March 15 1927.

Filed March 24, 1926 I N VEN TOR. a. fv

By v

ATTORNEY.

strata wiLLIAiu Gn'iir'rns; or 'P'HInAnELPniA rnNsYnvliNrA.

1 Fon ACTQUATI'NG' nijnen-'TANK VALVES.

Application-internal@ 24,1926. seriarno. 96,927.

My invention relates to means for opening or"'controlling theyval'ves oflushtanks 'for water closet apparatus. Y e

The lgeneral object of the Ainvention is to provide means offthevcharacter indicated which not only lis noveljin construction but which`is extremely s'impleand'ota charac4 ter such that it is not likely'toget out of order after it has been installed.

In order that the inventionmay bex'readily understood and its "practicaladvantages fully appreciated l.reifen-nice may be had tothe'accompanying .drawing in which I `have illustrated 'one forni 'of 'aconvenient "mechanical embodiment of the invention. However', 'it willbe understood. that the invention Yis y susceptible of vembodiment vinother forms of'construction than that shown and that changes i'n thev``details otconstruction may be made `within the scopeoi3 theclaiinswithout departing from the invention.

In thedrawing:

Fig/1* is a view linside elevation of a flush tank `for ,water v clos-etapparatus :provided with the invention, themeans' embodying the"invention beingshown in` dash `lines anda portion'of a side `o 'the:tankbeing broken away Vfor the? purpose of shwing the valve structure"the valveof which is to be opened'and closed; e

Fig; 2 is a view" in elevation looking'from the inside'of 'the tanktoward the: Tear' side of the valveop'eratingineans;

Fig. '3. is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3"-3 ofl Fig. 2;and

Fig. 4 is` a"horiz`ontal *sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

'Referring to the drawingr'l ydesignates a Aflush tank having an Outl'etat vv2 which is adapted td be closed by-a'ball valve 'having astem 4vwhich isguided in'asleeve 5" at the outer end ofan'arm 6 supported uponan 4overflow 'pipe 7 ofusualconstruction, The upper end of. the `ste1n`4isf'pro'vildied with an' enlargement or eyel9 byimeans of wliiclr a`connecting link 10 isrpreventedlfrom becoming disengaged from `the 'isaid stem. Theupper endfof the said' Vconfnecting link is connected tothe outer endfportion Otan arm 11 which'extends*rearwardly`fromr a shaft12 mounted in bearings 13 at'tlielower end ofra depending arin'14.,'The' arm '.11 is.' kprovided with a lplurality of" openings 15intowhich the upper end "of `the `connecting link 10 may be inserted inorder to vary the distance'of thel 'point oi'conne'c'ftion from thetaken axis of rotation of the shaft 12. The shaft 12.Inay beadjus'tedlongitudinally within the bearings 13.

,The arm 14 is provided at its upper end with an enlargement 16 having aforwardly extending hollow projection or boss 17 which is polygonal incross section. The said boss projects into an opening 18 in the side 19of the tank 1 which is ofcorresponding polygonalshape. The outer end ofthe opening 18 1is 'concealed by a knob 2O having a central opening 21`extending therethrough. The inner end portion ,of the said openingofll'ess `diameter than theyremaining portion thereof whereby shouldersare formed at 22. AA bushing` 25 extends through the inner portion ofthe opening 21 of smaller diameter 'and also through theA opening 18 aswell as through the opening through thefupper end portion *16. of thearms 14. Thel outer* end of vthe said bushingis provided with a flangedhead, as indicated at` 26, which is adapted to contact withy theshoulder22. The inner end of the bushing is screw threaded forengagement with a nut27 by means ojlwhicli the arm 14 vis adapted to beclamped-against the inner surface of the side '19 while "the knob-'2O isadapted to be clamped upon the `outer surface of the said'side" inopposing relation to the portion 16 vof the arms 14. VThe shoulders 22of the knob 2O and `the wall 19 are clamped between .the iianged'head 26upon the bushing 25 `and nut 27. u

. A reciprocable or linearlyA movable rod 3() is slidably mountedwithin2 the bushing 25. To"the.vouter end of the said rod 'a .fingerpiece or knob 31 is secured. The inner portion of the said knob isol'ifasize toiit loosely within the opening 21. The outer portion of thesaidknob isenlargedso'asto form a shoulder 32 which is adapted to beAseated normally againstuthe outer end of the knob 20. AThe inner endportion of the rod 30 eX- (lil Cri

split pin 40 the shaft 12 may be adjusted longitudinally through thebearings 13. The rear or inner end portion of the rod 30 is retained inengagement with the slot 35 by means of a washer 43 and a pin 4:4, thewasher being located between the upper end portion of the arm 36 and thesaid pin and the latter operating to retain the washer in place.Normally, when the valve 3 is in closed position` the arms 11 and 36occupy the positions shown in full lines in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Whenit is desired to operate the said arms to effect opening movement of thevalve 3 the knob 31 is pulled outwardly to cause a like outward movementof the rod 30. Such outward movement causes a like movement of the arm36 to a position as indicated in dash and dot lines in Fig. 3 of thedrawing and simultaneously causes pivotal movement of the shaft 12 sothat the arm 11 rigidly connected therewith is moved into the positionalso indicated in dash and dot lines in said Fig. 3. It will be notedthat the arm 11 moves upwardly thereby transmitting through theconnecting link 10 a lifting force to the valve 3 to cause upwardmovement thereof into open position. Upon release of the knob 31 uponthe emptying or discharge of the water from the tank 1 so as to permitdescending movement of the valve 3, the combined weight of the latter,the connecting link 1() and of the arm 11 is sufficient to causerotatable movement of the shaft 12 and of the arm 36 toward the rear. Byreason of the contact of the upper end `portion of the arm 36 with thewasher L13 the rod 30 together with the knob 3l are moved inwardly sothat they are returned to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 ofthe drawing.

It will be seen that by my invention I have provided a simpleconstructioncomprising a minimum number of parts constructed andcombined in such manner that the likelihood of breakage is reduced to aminimum, and wherein the valve operating means is not likely to get outof order after having been installed.

Having thus described my invention.l what I claim and desire to secureby LettersPatent is:

1. In means for actuating a flush tank valve, the combination of arotatable shaft having an inwardly extending arm and also having anupwardly extending arm, the latter being provided with an openingtherethrough adjacent its upper end` means for connecting the firstnamed arm to the valve to be actuated, a bearing for the said shaftmounted upon a side of the said tank, and a reciprocatory rod extendingthrough and supported by th-e said side of the tank and having its innerend extended through and slidably engaged with the opening in the secondnamed arm, substantially as, described.

. said shaft.

2. In means for actuating a flush tankx valve, the combination of aflush tank, a shaft bearing mounted upon the inner side of a wall ofsaid tank,la shaft mounted in said bearing, said shaft having aninwardly extending arm, connections between the said arm and the valveto be actuated, and the said shaft also being provided with an upwardlyand inwardly extending arm which is provided with an opening Vadjacentits upper end, arod slidably mounted within an opening through the saidside of the tank, said rod extending through the opening in the lastmentioned arm, means for retaining the said rod in engagement with thesaid opening, and means whereby the said rod may be reciprocated to eectrotation of the 3. In means of the character described, the combinationof a valve, a rotatable shaft, operative connections between the saidvalve and shaft, a bearing for supporting the said shaft, which bearingis mounted upon a side of the said tank, the said shaft being providedwith an upwardly and inwardly extending arm having an opening throughits upper end portion, a rod extending from the outside of the said wallthrough an opening therethrough, said rod being supported by the saidwall and extending through the opening in said arm, means for retainingthe said rod in engagement with the said opening, and means wherebyreciprocatory movem-ent of the said rod may be effected to actuate thearm with which it is connected to thereby effect'rotation of the saidshaft.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a iiushtank one wall of which is provided with an-opening eX- tendingtherethrough, an arm having an opening therethrough in alinement withthe opening through the said wall, a bushing member extending throughthe said openings, means for retaining the said bushing and the said armin position, the said arm being provided with a bearing in its outerend, a shaft mounted in said bearing, a valve,

connections between the said valve and shaft,

an arm extending upwardly and inwardly from the said shaft, said armbeing provided with an opening through the upper end portion thereof, arod slidably mounted in said bushing, the inner end of said rod eX-tending through the opening through the said last mentioned arm, meansfor retaining the said rod in engagement with the said opening, andmeans whereby outward sliding movement of the said rod within the saidbushing may be effected to open the said valve.

In testimony that I claim lthe foregoing as my invention, I havehereunto signed my name this L1th day of March, A. D., 1926.

VILLIAM U. GRIFFITI-IS.

